March 18, 2004 – During a meeting with park officials and enginneers from the Federal Highway Administration, St. John residents had a chance to see the V.I. National Park's plans for repairs to North Shore Road.
The project is slated to start in late winter or early spring 2005, with construction wrapping up by summer 2006.
Staff from the Federal Highway Administration's Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division in Sterling, Va., was on hand at the Legislature building to answer questions and explain the plans it had posted around the room.
Richard Penn Jr., a park lifeguard at Trunk Bay, said he came to see what was in store.
"I travel that road for work," he said.
According to Penn, the road needs widening to accommodate large vehicles like the one he drives for the park. However, widening the road is not part of the plan.
Improvements to the Lind Point overlook are the highlight of the project. Crews will build a stone wall along the edge of what is now a bare space along the shoulder.
The park plans to take out the middle access area at Hawksnest Beach. With the number of entrances reduced from three to two, the area should be safer for both vehicles and pedestrians. Cars will be able to parallel park next to the newly created median.
Also, plans call for 50 "management" boulders to be installed on the beach side of Maho Bay. Cars now park on the edge of the beach.
"We're concerned we're going to lose the whole beach forest," said Rafe Boulon, the park's chief of environmental resources.
He said that the vegetation will be replanted and that the park is exploring ways to increase parking at this very busy spot once parking along the beach is prohibited.
Other improvements include repairing cracks in the paving along the North Shore Road; installing dips at Jumbie Bay and Trunk Bay to direct the flow of water; adding a dozen parking spaces at Cinnamon Bay; and increasing the curve radius at Penn Point to improve safety.
The park needs to repair the road because it is deteriorating and has inadequate drainage in many areas, making the problems worse.
The road was last improved in the mid-to-late 1980s.
"We design for 20 years, but at around 15 we start seeing wear," said Dave Weber, a designer with the Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division.
The park also hopes to add "traffic-calming" devices such as rumble strips, which are bumps in the road, and signs and pavement markings to discourage high-speed traffic along the road.
Weber said that so far, he's heard no negative comments. He said some of the island's construction people had some construction-related questions.
The park held an initial public meeting on the project on Sept. 18, 2002.
The public has until April 19 to comment on the project.
Send comments to Art Frederick, superintendent, V.I. National Park, 1300 Cruz Bay Creek, Cruz Bay, St. John, VI, 00830 or fax them to 693-9500.
For more information, call highway engineer Nicholas Finch at 800-892-8776, extension 1548.
Back Talk
Share your reaction to this news with other Source readers. Please include headline, your name, and the city and state/country or island where you reside.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice.. click here.
